How to drop a pin at your location — and find it again without internet

Dropping a pin is the fastest way to mark “I am here”. It is great for sharing. It is a poor way to come back — the pin lives inside a maps app that needs a network. Here is both: the how-to, and the way back.

Drop a pin in Google Maps (iPhone and Android)

1. Open Google Maps and tap the blue dot (your location) — or press and hold anywhere on the map.
2. A red pin appears with an address card at the bottom.
3. Tap Share to send it, or Save to add it to a list (“Favorites”, “Want to go”, or a list you name).
4. To copy the coordinates, tap the card and long-press the latitude/longitude line.

Drop a pin in Apple Maps (iPhone)

1. Open Maps and tap the location arrow to centre on yourself.
2. Press and hold on the map — a Dropped Pin card appears.
3. Tap Share or swipe the card to find Add to Favorites / Add to Guide.
4. Coordinates are on the card; tap and hold to copy.

Where dropped pins let you down

• No internet, no map. Offline areas can be downloaded, but only if you thought of it before you lost signal.
• Pins get buried. After a few weeks your “Saved” list is a pile of restaurants and one important pin you can’t find.
• A map is not a direction. On a beach, in a forest or a parking garage, the map shows a blank square — you still don’t know which way to walk.

The alternative: save the place, follow the arrow

Compass: Find Way Back does one thing a pin cannot: it points at the place. Tap Save This Place once; later, open the app and an orange arrow shows the direction, the straight-line distance and a walking-time estimate. There is no map to load, so it works in airplane mode, in a forest, on a beach or in a car park. The place stays as a named entry with the exact coordinates, a photo and a note if you want them.

Questions

How do I drop a pin at my exact current location?

Google Maps: tap the blue dot, then Save or Share. Apple Maps: tap the location arrow, then press and hold on the blue dot. For a pin you can walk back to without signal, use Compass: Find Way Back and tap Save This Place.

Can I drop a pin without internet?

You can place it, but the map underneath will be blank unless you downloaded the area earlier. An arrow-and-distance app does not need the map at all.

How do I send my pin to someone?

Both maps apps have Share on the pin card; it sends a link. From Compass: Find Way Back you can copy the coordinates and send them in any messenger.

More guides